After 16 years in an organization she helped found, Lavetta Simmons is retiring.
The genesis of the organization was a Relay for Life of Bourbon County event in 2007, at that time Teresa Davenport was going through her cancer fight, Joy O’Neal was a cancer survivor and Lavetta Simmons had been a caregiver to both her parents who had died of cancer.
“Teresa Davenport said, ‘When I get cancer-free, I would like to start a cancer support group,'”Simmons said. Joy O’Neal and Lavetta Simmons volunteered to help.
That cancer support group started in 2007, with a Fort Scott family’s four-year-old daughter who had been diagnosed.
Through the efforts of Davenport and her classmates, along with O’Neal and Simmons, a fundraiser was formed and close to $7,000 was raised for the family. Today, that girl has moved into her future.
“We each had our things to do to make it happen and we made it happen!” Simmons said.
In 2008, during the group’s first meeting at Mercy’s McAuley Center, the name Care to Share was chosen and a decision was made to meet quarterly.
“Our first year, we cared and we shared, through calls, visits, and prayer,” Simmons said. “During this time we were able to see the financial suffering that our fighters were going through as we gave them emotional support.”
In 2009, Lavetta announced at a meeting that she would like to help the cancer fighters financially
“That’s when The Sharing Bucket was added to the Care to Share Cancer Support Group, with the idea of fundraising with our group and our bucket never going empty,” she said. “The three of us came together, met with a lawyer to form a non-profit 501c3 organization…and chose a board of directors.”
The group introduced itself to the community at the 2009 Home and Garden Show.
“The year 2009 was a financial struggle for all of us with some very God-given moments and stories to pass on”, she said. “During this time, we added that Care To Share is ‘God Given, God Driven.'”
“In 2010, Fort Scott lost a very caring lady to cancer. She had struggled for many years,” Simmons said. “She left her memorials to us. We had never thought about receiving memorials. She was the first, and her memorials were $7,840. She blessed us with an
amount that was way beyond our dreams. The family asked that we invest a portion of it with the idea that Care To Share Cancer Support/The Sharing Bucket would go on forever. So we did, and we have grown it to a very nice amount today.”
“Our community has joined us and blessed us over and over again,” she said. “Each meeting we grew, each fundraiser we grew, each visit we grew. It has been the most amazing heart-touching God Driven; God Given thing, and has driven us all closer and closer
to God.”
“Last year we cared and shared financially 1,274 times with a total amount of $97,137.89!” she said. “That was only financial assistance, not counting the calls, texts, messages, emails, meals, rides, Ensure supplements, etc.”
“We never know where God is directing us next,” she said. ” We have followed and believe if God brings you to it, God will bring
you through It.”
The caring and sharing community made it possible, she said.
“But, I also want to mention that this could never happen without my family, and my extended family… My family has lived the journey. We were there when my parents took their last breaths. We have been there for so many cancer fighters and their families in our communities and we have been there for every fundraiser that has been put together for The Sharing Bucket.”
Her immediate family has all grown up, she said.
“They now have families of their own,” she said. “…So there comes a time when maybe we have to let go?? How do we do that? We don’t know?”
“Well, we figured it out. God, Family, Care to Share has always been our motto,” she said. Now she is caring and sharing with her family.
” I now care for two of my great-grandbabies,” she said. Daily her time is given to Lillian, 3, and Austyn, 1 month,
“Care to Share Cancer Support Group/The Sharing Bucket has blessed me over and over, through our caring and sharing with every cancer fighter and their families, and through caring and
sharing through our wonderful giving community. I will always have a place close to my heart for it.
THANK YOU FOR CARING AND SHARING,” Simmons said.
The group shares this scripture with the cancer fighters, “as we believe in it and want to give them faith as well, Matthew 17:20
IF YOU HAVE FAITH AS SMALL AS A MUSTARD SEED, NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU,” she said.
“They say charity can come in the form of time, talent, and treasure. For most of us, we have to choose which one or maybe two of those to give as we take care of the rest of our lives. Lavetta gave all three, zealously,” he said.
“As a co-founder of Care to Share and as a leader of day-to-day activities as well as the Board of Directors, Lavetta has helped generate over $1.2 million in support of our local cancer communities,” he said.“She has given her time taking countless calls at all hours of the day and night from families desperate for support during the difficulties of their cancer journeys. Lavetta has visited cancer survivors and their families in times of dire need with open arms, an open heart, and an open Care to Share wallet to help them get over whatever hurdle they were facing that day,” he said.“Lavetta’s commitment and passion brought generous giving from her family and friends, and our entire community is immeasurably better off through her efforts,” he said. “She is warm, caring, compassionate, organized and efficient and she gave those talents to SEK cancer fighters through Care to Share.”“We thank and honor Lavetta for her vision, her passion, and her dedication and support as she passes the torch to the next round of Care to Share leadership.”